family center

Our Story of Love at First Sight…

March of 1999 I found out I was pregnant – my due date was November 20, 1999. We of course were trying and very excited by the news. I had a picture perfect pregnancy – no morning sickness – no heartburn. Three baby showers. We were ready! Everything was going great – on Monday, November 15th my husband Peter and I went to my mid wife and we listened to the baby’s heartbeat. I felt contractions here and there the next couple of days, but nothing consistent. On Wednesday, November 17th I didn’t feel him move – I didn’t think anything about it because I was told the baby slows down right before delivery (not true at all).  

I woke up Thursday, November 18, 1999 and still no movement and I felt like there was something wrong. We went to the hospital and as soon as I got there they tried to find the baby’s heartbeat and they couldn’t… So a doctor came in and did an ultrasound and said he was sorry but our baby had died. How could this be we just heard the heartbeat on Monday?!

At 4 p.m. I gave birth to my stillborn son. He was beautiful, he weighed 8 pounds, 21 inches long, had jet-black hair and little rose bud lips. He looked like he was sleeping when I held him – I couldn’t believe this was happening! Why!? We named him John Paul. Everything from that point is a blur to me. I kept asking why…

I learned is that there is no right or wrong way to get through the death of your child/children. But you have to allow yourself to grieve and do not pretend it did not happen or you are all better, because if anything takes a long time, it is the healing process after you lose your child/children. It has been fifteen years since we lost our John Paul and not a day goes by that I do not think of him.

Since our loss we had had two subsequent children Jakob age 14 and Jackson age 12. Getting through those two subsequent pregnancies were the most stressful times in my life. I was convinced the same thing was going to happen and we were going to lose our baby again. Thank God for the Western New York Perinatal Bereavement Network. This organization not only provided support after our loss, it allowed me to attend beautiful events in memory of our John, and most important, I met friends who will be my friends forever because our angel babies bought us together…

I have been a part of the Western New York Perinatal Bereavement Network (wnypbn.org) for the past 15 years volunteering to help other families get through the tragedy of losing a baby and keeping our sons memory alive. Won’t you please consider giving to this incredible organization so we can continue to help our families….

Lisa M. Jerebko, mother of John Paul 11/18/99

Thank you for taking the time to read our story and learn about our baby who will only live on in our hearts… forever. We would like to ask that you help the organization that has helped us and helps so many others in their times of need.

All donations made to this page are made in loving memory of our baby gone too soon and will be used towards the WNYPBN’s Program.